Serenade, Part 2
by manekinekotan
Summary: A quick peek into the lives of Natsuki and Shizuru during their college years. Continuation of "Serenade"
1. Chapter 1

_**(College, First Year – September, Middle of Second Trimester)**_

"I'm home," Natsuki announced quietly, stepping into the entryway and closing the door behind her. When only silence greeted her, she sighed. _'Not here yet. Ok. Gives me a little time to clean up.'_

She kicked off her shoes and made her way to the living room area, dropping her messenger bag on the small couch. Quickly gathering up various empty soda cans and snack packages from the table, she disposed of them in the kitchen garbage can. That's when she noticed a few forgotten pots and plates around the table and stove. Once the dishes were left drying on the rack, she returned to the living room to tidy up her game systems and DVD's.

Stepping back to view the results of her labor, she nodded once. _'Good enough in here, I guess.'_

The bedroom wasn't too messy. Some clothes were lying haphazardly on the floor; she quickly tossed those into the laundry hamper. Then she changed the sheets and made the bed, carefully straightening the blankets before retrieving a clean set of Shizuru's lavender-colored sleep-over clothes from the dresser.

Despite herself, Natsuki grinned softly. _'Who'd have thought she'd agree to wear a t-shirt and shorts to sleep. Then again, I did have to agree to wear a yukata when staying over her place.'_

A quick glance at the clock reminded her of the time. _'She'll be here soon. Gotta get ready. Time for a shower…?'_ She thought about it for a moment, considered the potential consequences, blushed ever-so-slightly, but ultimately discarded the idea. _'Never mind. We'd be late, and I don't want to deal with that. Again. I'll just practice the guitar a bit…'_

She made her way back to the living room, to the corner that had been officially delegated as the "music area" - her guitar hung from the wall here, next to the music stand and the small bookshelf with various music books. '_I swear, that woman needs to have things so orderly,'_ she thought, shaking her head affectionately. While Natsuki might occasionally complain about it, she didn't really mind. _'Much.'_

As she grabbed the guitar, she noticed that the sheet music on the music stand was new. _'Ah, I wonder what it is this time…'_

Over the past year or so, it had become something of a game between them. Whenever Shizuru found a song she particularly liked, she would find sheet music for a guitar version and leave it somewhere in the apartment for Natsuki to find. Usually it was something sweet and melodic. Sometimes it was something embarrassingly romantic.

And Natsuki, being neither completely dense nor particularly immune to the cuteness of the situation (although she'd die before admitting it), would spend the next few weeks learning the song, practicing until she felt ready to play it for her one-woman audience.

With a soft smile, she scanned the music, wondering what song she'd be learning next.

An eyebrow twitched involuntarily when she recognized the tune.

"You have GOT to be kidding me…" she muttered aloud to the empty room.

* * *

**_(Same Day, Fuuka University)_**

Friday. Date night. Shizuru grinned, even as she gathered her belongings. Or, as she had once teasingly called it, "spend affectionate quality time together with Natsuki in a completely non-datelike manner night." Rather predictably, the tease had earned not only a blush, but also a half-hearted glare tinged with resigned amusement.

Still, for all that it had taken almost a year before Natsuki could call it anything other than "hanging out," their Friday night tradition had been the younger woman's idea. About a month into Shizuru's first year at Fuuka University, both of them had been extremely busy trying to adjust to the changes in their lives. The new school year brought new classrooms, new apartments to move in to (Natsuki's old one having been completely demolished by the rampage of a certain claw-wielding HiME), and new neighbors to meet. Not to mention a whole new relationship they were both tentatively exploring the limits of - a relationship what was being sorely tested by their lack of time together.

And so Natsuki, blushing profusely, had boldly proposed that they both set aside Friday nights to spend together. They took turns deciding what to do that night for their "not-a-date" activity, whether it be watching DVD's at home, going to try some new fancy restaurant in town, or joining Mai and the others for the semi-monthly "HiME sentai" karaoke gatherings. And when the cruel reality of exams and term papers reared its ugly head, they at least tried to have a meal together, then shared space at the table while each studied their separate subjects.

_'Of course, the late study nights led to the occasional unintentional sleep-over nights, which led in turn to the occasional intentional sleep-over_ _nights...'_ she could feel the grin on her face took take on definite smirk-like qualities, and dutifully restrained herself.

Of late, their Friday nights had consisted mostly of quiet evenings at Natsuki's apartment - a simple meal, followed by watching movies, or television, or sometimes just cuddling while Natsuki played on her game system. When Natsuki had asked why, Shizuru had smiled brightly and replied:

_"Because Natsuki does not cuddle in public." _

The resulting blush and accompanying stuttering protest had been utterly adorable, of course. _'Then again, Shizuru, you find ALL of Natsuki's blushes adorable,'_ she chided herself, then gave a mental sigh. _'Regrettably, these idle meanderings, while pleasant, are NOT helping you to navigate through this crowd any faster. And Natsuki's blushes in real life are so much more fun than memories of blushes past, yes?'_

Fixing the image of her blushing biker firmly in her mind, Shizuru reigned in her thoughts to focus on the task at hand.

* * *

Arriving at Natsuki's apartment complex, Shizuru quickly pulled into the designated parking and made her way upstairs. She paused for a moment upon reaching the door, juggling with both her overnight bag and purse to reach her key. As always, a bright flash of wonder came over her as she held that one key in her hand.

_'She gave me this key. My very own key. To her apartment.'_ Even though it had been almost a year since she'd received the key, it still brought a giddy smile to her face every time she thought about it.

She was still standing there, bemused, when the door abruptly opened.

"Hey," Natsuki greeted her casually, leaning against the door frame and smirking. "You coming in? Or were you gonna just stand there all night?"

_'Ah, someone is feeling playful tonight, I see.'_

"Oh, do I have that as an option?" Shizuru inquired, eyes wide in feigned innocence. "Is that what Natsuki has decided upon as tonight's entertainment?" Her voice dropped into a teasing purr. "Or is Natsuki intending for us to BE the entertainment, for all her neighbors, this evening? Not that I would mind, of course... would Natsuki like to start now?"

_'Ah yes, and there is that adorable blush I was thinking of earlier.'_

"No, no, and DEFINITELY no," Natsuki grumbled back, then sighed in slightly-amused resignation at the other's quiet laughter. After a moment, she reached over and relieved Shizuru of her overnight bag. "Hurry up and get in here, idiot. We're going to be late."

Still chuckling quietly, Shizuru followed, closing the door behind her.

"Did you need to change?" Natsuki asked, already on her way to drop the bag off in the bedroom.

"I believe this is casual enough, no?"

"It's up to you, Shizuru," came the answer from the other room. "I'm not the one with the reputation for cultured perfection. But if you want me to drive, you might want to grab your jacket."

She considered a moment, weighing the pros and cons. _'If I drive, traffic and parking may be an issue, but we will be able to chat along the way. If Natsuki drives, there would not be as much chatting, but we would get there faster, and parking would be easier to find. Not to mention the bonus of being able to cling to her rather tightly during the drive...'_

"Hey, Shizuru!" The growled admonishment brought her out of her slight daze.

Blinking, she found herself face-to-face with Natsuki, those amused green eyes staring directly into her own. _'Ah, she's so close...'_

"No time for your pervy fantasizing now," Natsuki scolded with feigned sternness, struggling to keep the grin off her face. "We'll never hear the end of it, if we're late. Again."

"Ah, then will there be time for my 'pervy fantasizing' later? Or maybe something... better?" she asked suggestively, arms snaking around to pull the blushing object of her affections closer still..

_'Blushing, but not struggling to get away,'_ she noted to herself, there very thought making her feel giddy.

"Depends," came the laconic answer, those startling green eyes alight with laughter, even though the face framing them was tinged slightly pink.

Shizuru raised an eyebrow. "Oh ho? And upon what, dear Natsuki, does it depend?" she asked with a sly grin, as she felt familiar hands settle comfortably on her hips.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe on how much trouble..."

The sound of two different ringtones, chiming almost simultaneously, signalled an end to their playful banter. _'For now, at least.'_

"Dammit, already?" Natsuki growled irritably, not even bothering to check her phone as she quickly reached into her pocket to silence it. She spared a moment to glare at her now-giggling, still-clinging companion. "YOU are a magnet for trouble. And not the good kind!"

"Hmmm... but I thought Natsuki liked a little bit of trouble?" Shizuru countered playfully, drawing the other woman's hands back to her hips.

A new beeping noise from Natsuki's phone brought a real scowl to the biker's face. "I wouldn't call this phone harassment 'a little trouble!' Geez, we aren't even late yet!"

Gently but firmly, Shizuru found those those strong hands push her gently away. Her artfully-crafted pout at this disagreeable situation was promptly ignored as the other quickly turned away - after all these years, Natsuki knew better than to be caught by a full-fledged Fujino pout.

"Quit pouting, woman! And grab your jacket - I'm driving. But no groping! I'm not gonna be some roadside peepshow for some horny prepubescent boy."

"Ara, what dirty thoughts Natsuki has of late," Shizuru lamented as she moved towards Natsuki's closet, where she knew her spare jacket was. "Where oh where could she have picked up such things?"

"Gee. I wonder," Natsuki replied dryly, grabbing the two motorcycle helmets and waiting by the door.

As Shizuru made her way back towards the door, she noticed a familiar music book sitting on the kotatsu table. Glancing at it briefly, a bright yellow sticky note with Natsuki's bold writing scrawled across it caught her eyes.

**CHOOSE SOMETHING ELSE.**

The message brought an immediate pout to her face, even as she followed the quickly retreating back of her girlfriend. "NATSUKI!


	2. Chapter 2

_**(Kismet Karaoke, Same Day, Two hours later.)**_

_'If they keep up with the flirting, I'm seriously going to gag. Or kill myself. Maybe both.' _

Nao rolled her eyes in exasperation, as Fujino once again coyly pointed out a song suggestion to her partner. As always, the suggestion was met with scowlings, growlings, and occasionally sputtered protestings. Of course, said reactions only resulted in amused giggles, off-color commentary, and even more song suggestions. This in turn resulted in more vehement refusals (accompanied with some fierce blushing). Thus the unending cycle of teasing that was the Kuga-Fujino courting ritual was perpetuated.

_'God, someone please make them stop.'_

Mai just thought it was cute.

_'But then again, she would. She's all into that happy-happy-shiny-love shit,'_ Nao reminded herself. _'She and Tate are almost as bad - luckily, he's too afraid of Midori's craziness to attend these things.'_

Right now, Mai was too busy enjoying her turn at the mic (singing some 80s song by some English guy with a stalking obsession, from what she could understand of the lyrics) to be mooning over the couple's antics. And Midori was drunk off her ass, laughing wildly while clinging to a slightly-less-inebriated Yoko. Yukariko was giving baby advice to the pregnant Akane, the pair of them perhaps the only sober adults present. _'Well, besides Miyu, and she doesn't count really.' _

Alyssa was sitting quietly, torn between the entertaining sight of her sort-of half-sister blooming various shades of red, the mildly drunken Mai trying to sing and sway at the same time, and the freakish horror show that was Mikoto stuffing her face with whatever untended food she could find laying about. Again.

Nao scowled. _'God, watching her you'd think we didn't feed her or something. Mai makes her a huge-ass bento every morning, not to mention how she takes part of mine too! How the hell does she stay so thin?' _

In other words, it was just another typical semi-monthly HiME-sentai meeting.

She sighed. It was great, having all these crazy friends to hang out with from time to time. She'd never, ever admit it, but Nao found herself fond of them all. Even the annoying robot-girl. Despite everything, they were all friends, and even in the aftermath of all the fighting, and the betrayals, and the whole saving-the-world bullshit, they all tried to support each other. Still, some hard feelings remained _-_ Nao was nothing if not stubborn, and letting go of grudges did not come easily to her.

"Seriously, no. I'm not singing THAT," hissed Natsuki quietly, causing Nao's ears to perk.

The sly redhead affected ignorance to the ongoing argument, idly sipping her drink and shaking her head in answer to Mikoto's inevitably question, as the cat-girl pointed to Nao's plate and asked, "Are you gonna eat that?"

Nao sighed and pushed the plate over to her ever-hungry classmate, who mumbled her thanks even as she began inhaling the leftovers. Then a bit of hushed conversation caught her ear, _'Huh, what are the idiot couple saying now?'_

"But it is such wonderfully cheerful song, is it not?"

"It's an impossibly embarrassing song, you mean."

"Oh come now. It is not all that embarrassing..."

"Hah! _'Everytime I see you my heart goes doki-doki. My unsteady feelings are soft and fluffy like a marshmallow'?_ How is that not the definition of embarrassing?" *

Nao barely choked back a bark of laughter. _'Oh shit, I'd pay money to see Natsuki sing THAT!'_

Natsuki shot a suspicious glare in her direction, and growled, "Something wrong, Yuuki?"

The high schooler merely smirked at the biker's irked expression. "Nope. All good here. How about you, Kuga? You seem kinda flushed _-_ got a song you wanna share with everyone?"

"No."

"Oh, you sure, Kuga? Seems there's something that Fujino seems pretty keen on you singing?"

A pointed glare. _'Geez, I can almost feel the icicles forming. Brr. Too bad Kuga, but this is way more entertaining than the karaoke.'_

"Or are you thinking about joining Mai with this song?" Nao continued. "Singing about some love-sick stalker watching every move you make doesn't seem your style, Miss Bad-Ass-Biker. But hey, we've got an extra mic..."

"No," Shizuru interjected gently, frowning ever-so-slightly. "Natsuki does not have to sing anything she does not wish to, Nao-san."

_'Oops, I triggered Fujino's mama-bear mode.'_

"Ah, my bad. So, why the red, then, Kuga? Can't take your booze anymore?"

"Shaddup," was the grumbled reply.

"Oh, yeah, that's right. You drove the death machine tonight, so no booze for you, huh? Being old and responsible must suck, sometimes."

At that, Kuga snapped. "Unlike some people, I don't need to get drunk off my ass..."

"No, you're enough of an ass without the booze..."

"Whaddya yellin fer?!" interrupted a happy _-_ and most definitely inebriated _-_ voice, as friendly arms suddenly latched around the snarky red-head's shoulders. "Issa HAPPY time! Fightins a no-no!"

"Oh my God, Midori, get off me!" Nao yelled, trying to escape from the drunken teacher's octopus-like grip. "You stink worse than a salaryman on a Friday night! Geez, how can you even be so drunk, it's not even 9 o'clock yet!"

"Nuh uh, BAD Nao. Issa sin ta take the lord's mane in rain... or wassit in sane... " scolded the clingy drunk happily. "Issa forty licks fer shame! Time fer punishments!"

"I'm NOT a nun, and anyway it's 'take the Lord's name in...' Oh God, stop!" The high schooler yelled frantically, her attempts to get away redoubling as the older former-HiME tried to put her self-proclaimed punishment into effect _-_ by licking Nao's face.

Laughter erupted as the pair continued to tussle, only becoming more complicated with Yukariko tried to intervene on her young pupil's behalf. And again when a tipsy Mai started yelling at them all for interrupting her song. The playful grappling turned into an impromptu singing contest, with the two younger women competing against the two teachers. Unfortunately, between the younger pair constantly squabbling during the song, Midori being too drunk to remember the words and Yukariko's embarrassed stammering, it was less of a contest and more of a very-badly choreographed disaster. But at least it was an entertaining disaster.

Natsuki laughed along with the others, but couldn't help but notice that there was one person who wasn't laughing. Someone who instead seemed lost somewhere deep inside herself, wearing a quiet expression of regretful detachment. In concern, she gently reached out, taking Shizuru's hand in her own.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked softly.

Piercing green eyes peered anxiously into troubled ones of reddish-brown, until the latter cleared.

"Yes, Natsuki," Shizuru replied, turning her hand around for a reassuring squeeze. "I am fine."

Replaying the earlier conversation in her head, it wasn't difficult for Natsuki to see what had set Shizuru off this time.

_Singing about some love-sick stalker watching every move you make doesn't seem your style..._

"Don't pay any attention to Nao. She's an idiot. And Midori shouldn't have let her drink anything. I swear, I don't know what that woman is thinking sometimes..."

"Natsuki, truly. I am fine, I promise," Shizuru repeated, this time threading her fingers through Natsuki's own, holding her grasp in a more intimate embrace. They did not often hold hands in public _- _the college freshman was still a little shy about exposing them to public scrutiny _-_ but here, they were among friends.

Shizuru felt the fingers in her grasp tighten, as Natsuki smiled gently, reassured by their simple hand grasp. And Shizuru felt her own smile soften into something more genuine and heartfelt, in response to the simple happiness in those bright green eyes.

* * *

* Hikasa Yőko (Akiyama Mio), "Fuwa Fuwa Time", Ho-Kago Tea Time, from "K-On", © 2009 by Pony Canyon

A/N: Yes, I know the actual airing time for _K-On_ does not quite match, if we assume that_ Mai-Hime_ took place at the same time the anime was actually aired. But I couldn't resist imagining Natsuki's reaction to said song. So, creative license.


	3. Chapter 3

_**(Another Time, Another Space)**_

It was late.

She woke suddenly into the darkness, not quite sure what had roused her. Rising from her bed, she made her way to the dorm room's large sliding glass door, with the tiny student-sized patio. And she heard it clearly, muffled only slightly - the familiar rumble of a motorcycle, headed towards the closed campus.

_'Of course.'_

She dressed quickly, grabbed her keys, and quietly left the empty room. One of the benefits of her position - she did not have to share the room with another student, ensuring the privacy she needed for both her official and unofficial duties. And she hurried now to see to the one duty she swore never to fail.

_'Natsuki...'_

Shizuru hurried past the familiar school gates, and through the unlit halls. Suddenly, she found herself at the door of the infirmary. She blinked, a little surprised at how quickly she had arrived, but the soft sounds of rummaging and muffled cursing drove the thought from her mind. With a sigh, she knocked gently, and almost grinned at the sudden stillness inside.

"Natsuki," she stated simply, keeping her voice gentle and free of accusation. "I will be coming in now." As the door opened, she flipped the light switch on, temporarily blinding them both.

"Shizuru..." came the familiar voice gruffly. "What are you doing here? It's late..."

"As the student body president, it is I who should be asking Natsuki that, no?" she scoffed gently, wincing as she took in the damage: the visible bruise on the girl's cheek, the dried blood on the damaged leathers, the way the girl was hunched over, clearly favoring her left side, and the slightly pained sheen in those green eyes. Even as the student body president reached out with a carefully controlled steadiness, restraining the surge of protectiveness, deep inside her psyche a dark, dangerous voice whispered promises of retribution.

_'They will pay for this, Natsuki. For all that they have dared to do. To you. To your family. For these injuries, and all the others as well. They will pay. I swear it.' _

"I'm fine, Shizuru," the biker protested, trying to avoid the other's grasp.

Shizuru found herself frowning. Something didn't feel right. There was a familiar sense of deja vu, but skewed somehow. She shook her head, quickly dismissing the strange feeling.

"No, Natsuki. You are not 'fine' as you claim. Clearly, you are hurt. Now, let me see."

"NO! Leave me alone, Shizuru. I'm fine!" the biker growled, pushing away weakly.

_'No, wait. That is not how it happened. Natsuki let me tend her wounds. She had cracked one rib, deep bruises on her legs and arms, and a shallow cut across her left cheek, which luckily healed without a scar. All of which healed remarkably quickly, thanks to her HiME abilities. But wait, she doesn't have a cut on her face. And the blood on her leathers, is that hers? Is she bleeding?'_

"Natsuki, let me help you," she heard herself plead. "Please. I only want to help."

_'Wait, that is... was... I did not say that. I did not mean to say that. I said something else. Did I not?'_

"Why?"

She blinked. "What?"

"Why do you want to help me, Shizuru?" the biker asked, her voice sounding different somehow.

"What? Natsuki, what are you..."

"Why do you want to help me? Why do you always want to help me?" There was a strange intensity in Natsuki's voice - an intensity not familiar to the teenaged student body president.

And yet, that intensity was not entirely unfamiliar to Shizuru - the one that was not the insecure, obsessive creature being confronted by those determined green eyes. Eyes filled with more emotion than the younger teen had ever shown back then. _'This is Natsuki. Not the first-year high school Natsuki, of three years ago. This Natsuki, standing here before me, is the Natsuki of now. The one who... the one who...'_

"Because Natsuki is my friend," she heard herself answer with false warmth. No, not false warmth, but a very skillfully restrained warmth. A roaring fire, carefully banked. Desperately controlled.

The only response was another accusing glare. "No."

She blinked. "Natsuki?"

"No, Shizuru. Just stop. Tell the truth. _Why_ are you always helping me? _Why_ are you always, always there? Why?"

_'Because I love you, Natsuki. Because you are everything to me. And because I cannot bear to ever let you fall.' _

But she could not say those words aloud. Instead, masked her feelings behind that familiar, practiced smile. "Ara, Natsuki! I am the student bod-" But that was as far as she managed.

"NO! Just, just stop! Stop lying, stop hiding! Just tell me! Why can't you just tell me?"

_'Yes, why? Why do I not just tell her?'_ Shizuru wondering silently, even as she found herself shaking her head in denial. _'After all, it is not as if I have not said it before...'_

"You are my friend, Natsuki. And you are so much more than the stand-offish, delinquent teen you pretend to be. Of course I would look out for you!"

The younger teen just growled. "Fine then. Don't tell me. In fact, don't even talk to me. Ever." And with that, the rebellious teen turned turned away, with that familiar flick of her long hair, and slowly walked away.

_'No. Wait. This is not how it was. This is not what is supposed to happen.'_

Shizuru tried to reach out, but there was nothing to grasp. She tried to move, but seemed restrained by the formless mist that seemed to be gathering, like intangible restraints, holding her back.

_'No, not mist. Sparkles. But that means...'_

"Natsuki..." she whispered, horrified. Helpless, she struggled against invisible bonds, even as the green sparkles gathered around the retreating form. Around herself. She felt once again the sickening sensation of fading, as her body began to diffuse into those damnable green sparkles. "No...wait! Natsuki! Natsuki!"

But the biker never once turned back.

The green sparkles overtook them both.

Leaving only cold, empty blackness.


	4. Chapter 4

_**(Fuuka, Residentiaĺ District)**_

She woke from the nightmare with a gasp, her heart racing with fear. Panicking, she sat up in the bed, immediately seeking reassurance. Immediately turning to her side to check, to make absolutely sure...

There. Natsuki. Still asleep. Still beside her. Completely at peace. And completely safe.

"Natsuki," she whispered, voice broken with lingering fear. Unable to help herself, she reached out, ever-so-gently, to ghost a loving hand delicately across her sleeping companion's cheek. Just to touch, so she could be sure. To know that this vision of loveliness at her side was not a dream. Warm, firm flesh met her fingertips, and she closed her eyes to fight back the grateful tears, suddenly threatening to spill onto the slumbering woman's face.

A warm hand encompassed her own, drawing her fingers to soft lips. She opened her eyes once more, and met the still-sleepy green-eyed gaze of her beloved, blinking at her in the pre-dawn gloom.

"Shizuru?" Natsuki reached out with her other hand, delicately tracing down the other woman's cheek. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

For a moment, she considered telling Natsuki that nothing was wrong, that everything was fine, just as she used to do. Just as she had in her dream. _'No, I am no longer so cowardly. I am strong enough to show weakness to my Natsuki.'_

"Shizuru? Was it... was it the nightmares again?"

"Yes," she said, simply.

Natsuki rose up and held her closely, comfortingly. "Was it a bad one?" she asked hesitantly.

"It was... unpleasant," she admitted, her voice slightly muffled against Natsuki's shoulder. "But no, it was not the worst of them."

Although she could not see it, she could sense the former delinquent scowling. The nightmares were not new for either of them - both suffered the lingering effects of their time as HiME, often manifesting in their dreams. When Natsuki had first noticed her normally bright reddish-brown eyes looking dim and shadowed, the truth had been coaxed out of her by that charmingly blunt persuasion she so adored. When Natsuki admitted to having her own nightmares, it helped to ease some of her anxiety. Slowly, haltingly, they had started sharing their nightmares with each other.

"How 'unpleasant,' Shizuru?"

"It was..." she hesitated only for a moment, her voice reflecting remembered anguish. "You were leaving me. I... I was hiding again, and you were leaving me."

Arms tightened around her protectively, as the rest of the story spilled out.

"I'm here, Shizuru," Natsuki soothed gently. "I'm not going anywhere. And you're not hiding anymore, remember? We promised. No more hiding - for either of us."

She nodded wordless agreement, finding comfort in Natsuki's embrace. Indeed, they had promised. And, as difficult as it had been for them both, they kept their promises to each other.

"Heck, at least you weren't mooning over Tate like some deranged, love-sick idiot, like in my last dream," Natsuki scoffed gently. "Geez, I swear, I couldn't even look at him for nearly a week after that nightmare - every time I saw him, I wanted to beat his sorry ass."

Despite herself, Shizuru giggled.

"Hey, not funny!"

"But it is funny, Natsuki. He is very much NOT my type, after all."

"Oh, not into the yellow-haired yankee look? Not attracted by that muscular chest, or those chiseled abs?" Natsuki teased.

Shizuru shook her head with mock solemness. "Not enough cleavage," she stated simply, her hands beginning to wander. "Natsuki's breasts are much more to my liking."

"Yeah, never would have guessed that, what with your groping and all..." strong hands caught her own, drawing them away from said attributes.

"And I think Natsuki's abs are much more alluring..." fingertips traced the toned stomach teasingly, before being recaptured and drawn away again.

"Hey, quit it, you know I'm ticklish..."

"And her cute derriere too - simply irresistible..." she added with a smirk, reaching behind her companion, and...

"SHIZURU!"

Giggling madly, the two engaged in a bit of playful wrestling, before settling tiredly into each other's arms, resting peacefully on the disheveled bed.

"Thank you, Natsuki," she said quietly, breaking the moment of comfortable silence between them. "You always know how to soothe away my nightmares. You always make it better. And I will be forever grateful, that you allow me to stay by your side."

"Hey, no thanks needed. You do the same for me, Shizuru. We're in this together, right?"

She nodded.

"Good. Now, let's get some sleep, okay?"

"Alright."

The warmth surrounding her shifted for a moment, resettling them both, then lips pressed softly against her forehead.

"Comfy?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"So long as Natsuki keeps cuddling with me."

Soft chuckles. "Yes ma'am."

"And maybe a lullaby."

"...seriously?"

"Yes. I helped you avoid singing for Mai and the others last night. So you can sing for me now. It is only fair."

"..."

"Na-tsu-ki!"

"Okay, okay. But only singing. I'm too tired to drag my ass out of bed to get the guitar."

"That will be acceptable. Now where's my lullaby?"

A bit of amused grumbling, then a soft voice began to sing softly.

_"Deep inside my heart, there is a little girl_  
_She wants all the soft, fluffy, shiny, pure things.  
To that girl, please call out softly, kindly.  
Even if you can't see it, that little girl is the real me._

_It's me. Call me._

_An easily broken heart, decorated in frills  
It always clenches, constricts, and cries  
Like imagining someday finding the sweetest love,  
Sweeter even than chocolate,  
She dreams." *_

Shizuru tightened her arms around her singing girlfriend, smiling softly in the dimness. The song was sweet - although even more embarrassing than even her original teasing suggestion - but she understood the meaning of the gesture. Of the song. Because Natsuki was that little girl. Vulnerable, easily broken, scarred. Hiding deep within the layers of gruff nonchalance.

_'But she is sharing that vulnerable side with me. And I must keep sharing the same with her.'_

Serenaded by her lover's soft voice, Shizuru drifted into slumber.

* * *

_**(Fuuka, Residential District - Later That Morning)**_

"Shizuru?"

"Hmm...?"

"Are you awake?"

"...mmm..."

"Do you... maybe... like wanna..."

"...hmmmm?"

"...move in with me?"

"...hmm? Natsu...what...?"

"Only if you want. We both have classes. And work. And don't see each other much. And I kinda miss yo- MMPH!"

* * *

* Hikasa Yőko (Akiyama Mio), "Hello Little Girl", Ho-Kago Tea Time, from "K-On", © 2009 by Pony Canyon


	5. Chapter 5: The Omake

_**Serenade, Part 2 - The Omake**_

There was singing going on, she knew. And if she were a really good girlfriend she'd probably be trying a little harder to pay attention to it, considering who was currently up there, singing and dancing. But right now, she was too busy trying to hide her embarrassment and flaming red face behind the empty beer cans and half-empty plates of forgotten foodstuffs to give the spectacle proper appreciation.

_'If you could call it that...'_

A sharp elbow nudged her, and she spared a moment to give the girl at her side a proper glare.

"What?"

The damn teen just gave her a cheeky grin in return. "Not enjoying the show, Kuga?"

"...shaddup..."

The red head cackled, then yelped at the light punch to her shoulder. "Ow, violence to a minor! Bad grown-up! Abuse, abuse!"

Natsuki rolled her eyes, forgetting her embarrassment long enough to take another sip of her barley tea. "Whatever, you delinquent."

"Hah! That's rich coming from you, Kuga!"

"Yeah, yeah. At least I wasn't baiting pedophiles and leaving them trussed up in alleys, in nothing but their tidy whities."

"Sure, you were just breaking into super-secret research facilities and beating up security guards," the other scoffed.

They both laughed.

"So... new place all set up?"

"Yeah. Mostly. Shizuru is demanding I get 'proper housing' for the game system, though. Something with doors, so everything can be put neatly away and stuff."

"Heh, so she's housebreaking you already, huh?"

"Stuff it, Nao."

At just that moment the singing on the "stage" came to the chorus for a final time, and the black-haired woman caught the saucy wink of her happy girlfriend, as their friends all laughed and cheered.

_"Every little thing she does is magic,  
__Everything she do just turns me on,  
Even though my life before was tragic,  
Now I know my love for her goes on." *_

Her temporarily forgotten embarrassment returned twofold, causing her to bury her face in her arms with a groan of mortification. "Oh god, tell me it's almost over..."

Nao just shook her head. "Seriously, Kuga, what is it with you guys and this American singer, anyway?"

"He's English," came the muffled reply.

"...whatever..."

* * *

_* Sting, "Everything She Does Is Magic", The Police, from Ghost in the Machine, © 1983 by A&M_


End file.
